Claiborne Kyle (1800-1867)

In 1844, Colonel Claiborne Kyle (1800–1867), his wife Lucy Bugg (1801-1863), and their nine children came to the Republic of Texas from Mississippi, where he had previously served as a state senator. The Kyles first settled in Gonzales for a year before moving to Austin.

The family permanently relocated to Hays County in 1850 when Kyle purchased 2,000-acres of land along the Blanco River on which he raised horses, sheep, and goats. In 1850, Kyle enslaved more men and women (38) on his ranch than anyone else in Hays county. According to tax records, Kyle’s property was valued at $12,000, making him the wealthiest man in the county at the time.

Claiborne Kyle

Kyle went on to serve in the Fifth Texas Senate (1853-1855) and later in the Texas House of Representatives during the Civil War (1863-1867). Claiborne and Lucy, along with several other members of the Kyle family are buried in the Kyle Cemetery.

The gravesite of Claiborne and Lucy Bugg Kyle at the Kyle Cemetery